Helen Flanagan Is the Latest Celebrity to Post No Makeup Selfie for Cancer

Helen Flanagan is the latest celebrity to post a no makeup selfie to raise awareness of cancer. The craze has taken off over the last week, especially since Cancer Research UK announced yesterday that it had seen an “unprecedented” £1 million in donations within 24 hours. The craze has been seen by criticism by some and even as narcissism by others.

The British cancer charity has now announced that it has received £2 million in donations over the last 48 hours, and mainly due to the craze. However, it is likely Cancer Researcher’s excellent social media skills that has helped this. At the start of the craze, many people questioned how it was raising awareness for a disease that is constantly in the news. They could not see how it was helping the charities raise the needed money to develop treatments and cures.

Cancer Research UK, and other cancer charities, took to social networking sites to ask that people donate just £3 (about $5) to the cause. Since then, hundreds of women have joined in with the link to the online forms and numbers to text for an easier donation. They have even shared their updates to show that they are willing to put their money where their “brave” no makeup face is.

Many celebrities have jumped onto the craze, and Flanagan is the latest one to post a no makeup selfie to raise cancer awareness. This has been a shock to many Coronation Street and I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here! fans, who are used to seeing her immaculate. Katherine Jenkins and Kym Marsh are others who have joined in.

Opera singer Jenkins has also been a surprise participant. It was once rumored that the Welsh star would spend £1,500 (about $2,500) per day on her beauty routine. However, she shared her bare face and then asked her followers to get involved and donate.

It is not just women like Jenkin and Flanagan who have gotten involved. Plenty of men around the world are now posting photos of their bare and not so bare face. Some men are having fun by posting funny photos in place of their own, and others are posting photos with makeup on, like X Factor contestant Rylan Clark. Peter Andre posted his selfie, sticking to the no makeup rules. The caption included the number to text to donate to make sure he really was contributing to the cause.

Some celebrities have decided to post a before and after picture. Maria Fowler created a collage of her face without makeup and false eyelashes and then one with it all. Her caption included “thank God for makeup.”

There are some questions raised over the no makeup selfies still. Some people have commented that there is makeup involved on some of the women, despite saying that there is not. Others have complained that people are using image editing software to make the face look better than it is.

There is no saying just how long the craze will last, but the cancer charities are definitely seeing some benefit from it. It helps when celebrities, like the latest one Flanagan, get involved by posting their no makeup selfies to raise cancer awareness.